Robot teaching pendant

ABSTRACT

A robot teaching pendant having improved operability achieved by being provided with a display function for a personal computer. The robot teaching pendant includes an emergency stop switch and a deadman switch necessary to secure the safety of an operator, and a jog key switch necessary for a teaching operation. The robot teaching pendant further includes a liquid crystal display unit for displaying an image signal supplied from a graphical (CRT) interface of the personal computer, whereby the robot teaching pendant not only serves as a display unit for the personal computer but also realizes an easy to operate display using the graphical user interface of the personal computer when a teaching operation and the like are carried out.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a robot teaching pendant, and morespecifically, to a robot teaching pendant needed when a robot system isarranged in combination with a personal computer.

2. Description of the Related Art

A conventional robot system includes a robot main body, a robotcontroller for controlling the robot main body and a teaching pendantthrough which an operator teaches his intended operation to the robotcontroller. The teaching pendant is extended from the robot controllerby a cable and the operator carries out a teaching operation through theteaching pendant held by his hand while observing the operation of therobot. At the time, the operator puts the robot into operation whiledepressing a deadman switch disposed on the teaching pendant and carriesout the teaching operation by operating, for example, a jog key switch.If the robot in a stationary state unintentionally starts its operationby any chance and approaches the operator or if the operator sensesimminent danger due to unexpected operation of the robot, he releasesthe teaching pendant, that is, he stops the robot by releasing thedepression of the deadman switch to secure his safety. Further, theteaching pendant is provided with a liquid crystal display unit toenable the operator to get the information of the robot at hand, so thatthe operator can carry out all the operations such as the confirmationof robot operation and the like also through the teaching pendant.

Recently, a personal computer has been connected to a conventional robotsystem so that the personal computer displays a state of a robot,creates a program for the robot and controls peripheral units other thanthe robot.

In the robot system added with the personal computer, however, a displayunit is provided with each of the teaching pendant and the personalcomputer. This handy teaching pendant which can be operated while it iscarried by the operator is usually provided with a small display unitand, therefore, its display capability is limited. On the other hand,the personal computer has no problem in the display of information.However, when it is used in place of a teaching pendant, a problemoccurs with regard to safety, operability and portability. Because thepersonal computer does not include an emergency stop switch, a deadmanswitch for securing the safety of the operator, or a jog key switch foreffectively carrying out a teaching operation, it cannot be used for ateaching job.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a robot teachingpendant having a display function of a personal computer in a robotsystem combined with the personal computer.

To achieve the above object, according to the present invention, thereis provided a robot teaching pendant used together with a robotcontroller and a personal computer for displaying a state of a robot andcarrying out a robot teaching operation, which comprises emergencyswitch means connected to the robot controller for commanding emergencystop of the robot, display means connected to a graphical interface ofthe personal computer for inputting and displaying an image signal, andjog key switch means connected to a communication port of the personalcomputer for the inputting a command for teaching operation and thelike.

According to the aforesaid arrangement, the robot teaching pendantincludes all of the intrinsic functions thereof, and the display meansitself can be also used as a display unit for the personal computer.Consequently, when operations such as a robot teaching operation and thelike are carried out, it is possible to provide an easy to operatedisplay screen using the graphical user interface of the personalcomputer.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will become apparent from the following description when takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate apreferred embodiment of the present invention by way of example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a robot system to which a robotteaching pendant of the present invention is applied; and

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view showing an example of the robotteaching pendant.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below withreference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a robot system to which a robotteaching pendant of the present invention is applied.

As shown in FIG. 1, the robot system includes a teaching pendant 10, arobot controller 20, and a personal computer 30 which are connected witheach other, and a robot main body (not shown) connected to the robotcontroller 20.

The teaching pendant 10 includes an emergency stop switch 11 and adeadman switch 12 which are needed to secure the safety of an operator.The teaching pendant 10 also includes a liquid crystal display (LCD)unit 13 excellent in portability to display a screen of the personalcomputer 30 and operation of the robot controller 20. A liquid crystaldisplay interface circuit 14 is connected to the liquid crystal displayunit 13 to control it. The teaching pendant 10 further includes a jogkey switch 15 and a touch panel 16 to carry out a teaching operation andthe like. A processor (CPU) 17 is connected to the liquid crystaldisplay interface circuit 14, the jog key switch 15 and the touch panel16 to control them.

The robot controller 20 includes an emergency stop switch 21 and anemergency stop contactor 22. The emergency stop switch 21 iselectrically connected to the emergency stop switch 11 and the deadmanswitch 12 on the teaching pendant 10 and the exciting coil of theemergency contactor 22 in series therewith. Each contact of theemergency stop contactor 22 is connected to the power of aservoamplifier (not shown) for controlling the servomotor of each axisof the robot main body. When operation for depressing the deadman switch12 is stopped, or when any of the emergency stop switches 11 and 21 isdepressed while the deadman switch 12 is depressed, a power to theservoamplifier is forcibly interrupted. Further, the robot controller 20has a power supply line connected to the teaching pendant 10 to supplyelectric power for operating the processor 17 and the like of theteaching pendant 10 and electric power used for the backlight of theliquid crystal display unit 13 from the robot controller 20.

The personal computer 30 has a graphical interface 31 connected to theliquid crystal display interface circuit 14 of the teaching pendant 10to supply an image signal from the personal computer 30 to the teachingpendant 10. The personal computer 30 has a communication port 32connected to the processor 17 of the teaching pendant 10. Further, thepersonal computer 30 has a communication board 33 mounted on one of theexpansion slots thereof and the communication board 33 is connected to acommunication board 23 of the robot controller 20.

Since data must be transmitted between the robot controller 20 and thepersonal computer 30 at a high rate of speed, high speed serialcommunication is carried out using the communication board 23. On theother hand, since data transmitted between the personal computer 30 andthe teaching pendant 10 is mainly signals supplied from the jog keyswitch 15 and the touch panel 16, the low speed communication port 32 isused.

When a cable connecting the personal computer 30 to the teaching pendant10 has a length of several meters, an RS-232-C communication port of aserial interface standard is used as the communication port 32, whereaswhen the cable has a length exceeding 10 meters, an RS-422 communicationport capable of increasing a transmission length is used.

The disposition of the teaching pendant 10 at a location where thepersonal computer 30 is disposed enables the teaching pendant 10 to beused as a display unit for creating a program for the robot anddisplaying a state of the robot. Further, the teaching pendant 10includes functions necessary for robot teaching operations, i.e., theemergency stop button 11 and the deadman switch 12 for securing thesafety of an operator, the jog key switch 15 for a teaching operation,the liquid display unit 13 for displaying information of the robot andinput data, and the touch panel 16 for improving operability. Thus, theteaching pendant 10 is arranged to have not only safety but alsooperability and portability.

Since the liquid crystal display unit 13 of the teaching pendant 10 isalso used as a display unit for the personal computer 30, an operatingsystem employing a graphical user interface can be used as an operatingsystem of the personal computer, so that it is made easy to observe anduse a display screen and an amount of information to be displayed can beincreased. Therefore, when a program of the robot is to be created, whena state of the robot is to be displayed or when a teaching operation isto be carried out, there can be constructed such an operationenvironment that operation is intuitively carried out in an easy tounderstand fashion with a picture or icon expressing a functiondisplayed on a screen.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view showing an example of the robotteaching pendant.

As shown in FIG. 2, the large-sized liquid crystal display unit 13 ismounted on the teaching pendant 10, and the display unit 13 can displaya large amount of information including not only character information,but also graphic information in an easy to see fashion. The surface ofthe liquid crystal display unit 13 is covered with a transparent touchpanel as an input unit on a screen. The emergency stop switch 11 and thejog key switch 15 are disposed on the front panel of the teachingpendant 10. The deadman switch 12 is disposed on a side of the teachingpendant 10.

Consequently, when the teaching pendant 10 is disposed in the vicinityof the personal computer 30, the teaching pendant 10 can be used as ausual display unit for the personal computer 30 to display a state ofthe robot, and the like. Further, since the teaching pendant 10 includesintrinsic functions for teaching a robot and is excellent inportability, a teaching operation can be easily carried out, and since alarge amount of information can be displayed, operability is greatlyimproved.

As described above, according to the present invention, the robotteaching pendant is provided with the display unit capable of displayingan image signal of the personal computer, in addition to the emergencystop switch, deadman switch and the jog key switch. Therefore, it canpermit the robot teaching pendant not only to graphically display astate of the robot and to create a program but also to carry out ateaching operation of the robot in the vicinity of the robot using thegraphical user interface of the personal computer with safety andportability.

Note, although the display means includes a liquid crystal display unitas a preferable embodiment of the robot teaching pendant, other displaymeans such as a plasma display unit and the like may be used.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe present invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changeswill readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired tolimit the invention to the exact construction and applications shown anddescribed, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be regarded as falling within the scope of the invention in theappended claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A robot teaching pendant, used together with arobot controller and a personal computer having .[.a communication portand.]. a graphical interface, for displaying a state of a robot andcarrying out a robot teaching operation, the robot .[.teachinq.]..Iadd.teaching .Iaddend.pendant comprising:emergency switch means,connected to said robot controller, for commanding an emergency stop ofthe robot; display means, connected to the graphical interface of thepersonal computer, for inputting and displaying an image signal; and jogkey switch means.[., connected to a communication port of the personalcomputer, for inputting a command.]. for .[.a teaching.]..Iadd.controlling .Iaddend.operation of the robot.
 2. A robot teachingpendant according to claim 1, wherein said emergency switch meanscomprises an emergency stop switch and a deadman switch.
 3. A robotteaching pendant according to claim 1, wherein said display meanscomprises a liquid crystal display unit and a liquid crystal displayinterface circuit.
 4. A robot teaching pendant according to claim 1,further comprising a touch panel through which an input operation of therobot is carried out by touching a particular position on a screen ofsaid display means.
 5. A robot teaching pendant according to claim 1,wherein said display means receives the image signal from the graphicalinterface of the personal computer, to enable said display means todisplay images which are the same as those displayed on a display screenof the personal computer.
 6. A robot teaching pendant according to claim1, wherein a main body of the personal computer is disposed at aposition different from that of the robot teaching pendant.
 7. A robotsystem according to claim .[.5.]. .Iadd.11.Iaddend., wherein saidemergency switch unit comprises an emergency stop switch and a deadmanswitch.
 8. A robot system according to claim .[.5.]. .Iadd.11.Iaddend.,further comprising a touch panel to perform input operations to controlthe robot by touch of a screen of said display unit.
 9. A robot.[.teaching pendant.]. .Iadd.system .Iaddend.according to claim .[.5.]..Iadd.11.Iaddend., wherein said display unit receives the image signalfrom the graphical .[.user.]. interface of said personal computer, toenable said display unit to display images which are the same as thosedisplayed on a display screen of said personal computer.
 10. A robot.[.teaching pendant.]. .Iadd.system .Iaddend.according to claim .[.5.]..Iadd.11.Iaddend., wherein a main body of said personal computer isdisposed at a position different from that of the robot teachingpendant.
 11. A robot system for operating a robot, comprising:a robotcontroller to control the operation of the robot; a personal computer,having a graphical .[.user.]. interface, .Iadd.and .Iaddend.acommunication board, .[.and a communication port,.]. said communicationboard being connected to said robot controller to perform high speedcommunication between said robot controller and said personal computer;and a robot teaching pendant, being external of said personal computerand said robot controller, to display a state of the robot and toperform a robot teaching operation, said robot teaching pendantcomprisingan emergency switch unit, connected to said robot controller,to control an emergency stop of the robot, a display unit, connected tosaid graphical .[.user.]. interface, to display first data generated byoperation of said robot teaching pendant and second data received fromsaid .[.cathode ray tube.]. .Iadd.graphical .Iaddend.interface, and jogkey switch.[., connected to said communication port, to input ateaching.]. .Iadd.means for controlling .Iaddend.operation .[.commandfor.]. .Iadd.of .Iaddend.the robot.